Housing for electrically operated typewriters and similar machines

ABSTRACT

A housing for electrically operated typewriters and similar machines, such as Telex machines, is composed of a plurality of individual parts, i.e., front, back, side and top wall members assembled together and secured to a top frame which has a separable coupling device by which the assembly is secured to a supporting base having means for receiving and securing the coupling device and complete a cabinet for the machine enclosed within the housing. Soundproofing of the housing is provided for.

United States Patent 11 1 Stahl et a]. June 3, 1975 [5 HOUSING FORELECTRICALLY 1,584,735 5/1926 Corcoran 197/186 B O R TYPEWRITERS ANDSIMILAR 1,890,564 12/1932 Dowd 197/186 B MACHINES 2,023,713 12/1935Summerlee et al. 197/186 R 3,021,187 2/1962 Mitchell 312/263 [75]Inventors: Horst Stahl, Weidach; Guenther 8 63 Reed 81 312/203 XVorbach, Schwindegg Upper 3,337,983 8/1967 Ebstein 312/263 x BarViria;Erich Brunnthaler; Wolfgang Hezel, both of I w lf t h W lf Hath, PnmaryExaminer-Robert Bagwdl Munich all Of Germany Attorney, Agent, orF1rml-l1l1, Gross, Slmpson, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson [73]Asslgneec Siemens Aktlengesellschaft, Berlin & Munich, Germany [22]Filed: Aug. 22, 1973 [57} ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 390,394

A housing for electrically operated typewriters and similar machines,such as Telex machines, is com- BO] Forelgn Apphcatmn Pnonty Data posedof a plurality of individual parts, i.e., front, Aug. 30, 1972 Germany2242569 back, Side and top wall members assembled together and securedto a top frame which has a separable cou- 5 197/186 pling device bywhich the assembly is secured to a J pp ti g b h i g means f eiving andsecur- [58] held of searchm" 197/186 186 B; 312/208 ing the couplingdevice and complete a cabinet for the 312/263 machine enclosed withinthe housing. soundproofing t I References Cited of he housing 1sprovided for UNITED STATES PATENTS 14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures1,535,055 4/1925 Stickney 197/186 B HOUSING FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERATEDTYPEWRITERS AND SIMILAR MACHINES This invention relates to a housing orcabinet for electrically operated typewriters and similar machines, suchas Telex machines, and is more particularly concerned with such ahousing constructed of individual wall parts assembled together toprovide a machineenclosing cabinet.

Conventionally, cabinet housings for machines of the character indicatedconsist basically of a one part housing shell which encloses themachine. Such housing shell is secured to the base plate which supportsthe machine, such, for example, as by bolting or screwing the same inposition to provide a stable assembly. From a production standpoint,such a one piece shell design of the housing is quite expensive, inparticular because the forms and dies which are required for productionare very complicated.

It has heretofore been suggested, for example in German Gebr auchsmusterNo. 6,923,250, a housing, in particular for electronic tablecalculators, might be constructed of cabinet components which are heldto the base plate of the machine and constructed in such a way that thebase plate has knock-out spindles by which the individually removablehousing parts are joined together in a grouped relation around the baseplate to complete the housing unit, the individual housing parts beingattached in such a way that they can be dismantled. Although a housingthus constructed does have advantages from a production standpoint,those advantages are adversely affected due to lack of stability of thehousing and an impairment of the desired requirements for such a housingsuch as to enable servicing of the housed machine. If any of theindividual components of the machine are to be checked or exchanged, itis required by the prior arrangement to disassemble the cabinet housingparts individually and then to replace the individual parts aftercompletion of overhauling of the machine.

It is an important object of the present invention to overcome theforegoing and other disadvantages, defciencies, ineficiencies,shortcomings and problems in prior structures and to attain importantimprovements, advantages and results by the provision of a housing whichcan be easily produced and provides a more favorable access to theapparatus assemblies within the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved housingfor electrically operated typewriters and similar machines and whichmeets the problem of ready access to the enclosed machine and componentsthereof in a simple, easy and eficient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhousing of the character indicated in which individual elements of thehousing are assembled with one another in a manner to facilitatehandling as a unit for attachment to and removal from amachinesupporting base.

Still another object of the invention is to provide new and improvedmeans for connecting the front, rear. and side walls of a separablehousing with a base plate.

A further object of the invention is to'provide a new and improved meansfor improving the form-stability of a housing composed .of an assemblyof multiple parts;

It is also an object of the invention to providea new.

and improved cabinet housing of the character indiconjunction with theaccompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may beeffected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novelconcepts embodied in the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts in a perspective view a housing embodying features of theinvention, such as may, by way of example, be adapted to serve as acabinet for enclosing a Telex machine.

FIG. 2 is a simplified exploded detail view of the housing showing most,but not all, of the components included in the completed cabinet.

I FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational detail view takengenerally along the line III-III of FIG. I.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken substantially alongthe line IVIV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially in theplane of the line V- -V of FIG. 4.

Having reference first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the form and construction of acabinet or housing especially suitable for enclosing electricallyoperated typewriters and similar machines, such as Telex machines isshown, the specific configuration of the housing being particularlyadapted for a Telex machine. To this end, the housing comprises a baseplate I on which the machine, not shown, is mounted. The housing shellincludes a front wall 2 provided especially for Telex machine purposeshaving a keyboard opening 3 at one side of which is a receptacle opening4 for waste from the usual perforated tape used in such a machine whileat the opposite side is a tape reading device enclosure 5. Otheropenings are provided in the wall 2 as necessary for its specificadaptation to the enclosed machine. In addition, the housing has twoside wall parts 6, a back wall 7 and a top wall 8 in the form of a topaccess opening closure cover. In addition, the cabinet may be providedwith a hingedly mounted cover C for protectively closing the front ofthe housing in the keyboard area, that is to li across the front of thefront wall 2 when the machine is not in use. .The cover C is shown onlyin FIG. 1 and is omitted from the remaining figures because it is not anessential element of the inventive features of the present application.While the base plat 1 may be formed as a lightweight metal casting orfrom a rigid high impact strength plastic material, the wall members 2,6, 7 at least, and also the top wall closure 8 if desired may be madefrom an easily shaped relatively soft, but form sustaining plasticmaterial having low resonance characteristics contributing to vibrationand sound damping.

For ease in manufacture, the front wall member, a side wall member 6,the rear wall member 7, and the top closure wall member 8 are all madeas individual, separate components, but constructed and arranged so thatthey can be mounted in assembly with each other on a top framecomprising an angular generally ringshaped member 9. In addition,connecting and reenforcing bars 10 are provided for stabilizing theconnection of the side wall member 6 with the front wall member 2 andthe rear wall member 7 along the lower portion of the housing shellassembly.

Pivotal attachment of the top wall cover member 8 enabling opening andclosing thereof is effected by means of a pair of butt hinges 11 havingone hinge plate secured to the rear portion of the cover 8 and theremaining plate secured as by means of screws lla to upper edge flangestructure 7a of the back wall member 7 and which flange structureengages supportingly on the frame member 9 to which the flange structureis fixedly secured by means of the screws lla. In its closed position,the cover 8 is held by spring latches 8a engaging with suitable keepers8b (FIG. 3), from which the latches are adapted to be released bypressing them inwardly against spring bias. in its raised, openposition, the cover 8 is adapted to be held by means of a pair ofdepending curved brace bar members 12, one at each side, pivoted atupper ends to the rear portion of the cover member 8 and dependingtherefrom through respective slots 13 in the frame member 9. Adjacenttheir lower ends, the brace bars 12 have latching notches 320 which areengagable with the frame member 9 in the raised position of the cover.To release the brace bars l2 from their latching relationship to theframe member 9, the latch members 8a are actuated in opposition to theirspring bias to operate respective trip rods 12b suitably coupled withthe upper end portions of the brace members I2.

For rigidity and form-stability, the frame member 9 is preferablyconstructed from suitable metal and may be produced by die casting. Itis constructed and arranged to receive the upper end portions of thefront wall member 2, the side wall members 6, and the rear wall member 7in efficient assembly therewith. Suitable upper edge inturned flangeportions on the front wall member 2 and the side wall member 6 engageupon respective front and side bar portions of the frame member 9, adepending attachment flange 90 along the front of the frame member beingsecured to the upper portion of the front wall member 2 as by means ofscrews to A (FIG. 3). At its respective opposite sides, the frame member9 is provided with depending flange portlon's 9b to which the upperportions of the side housing members 6 are secured as by means of screws6a (FIG. 1).

Attachment of the stabilizing bars across the inside of the lowerportions of the side wall housing panel members 6 and to the sideportions of the front wall member 2 and the rear wall member 7 iseffected as by means of screws 100 (FIG. 3).

To guide the lower ends of the housing members 2, 6 and 7 into positionwith respect to the base plate 1 and to stablize the connection with thebase plate, means are provided such as vertically extending spacedparallel guide ways 14 on the lower end of the front plate and the lowerend of the rear plate and which are receptive of rubber encased studs 15carried by the front and rear marginal portions, respectively. of thebase plate. While the side panel member 6 may also be provided withsimilar guide ways and the base plate 1 provided with studs therefore,the arrangement shown wherein the base plate has upwardly projectingstud means la and the lower edges of the panels 6 have correspondingguide recesses 6b receiving the studs la serves substantially the samepurpose.

By having the housing shell assembled as a unit on the top frame member9, the entire housing shell can be handled as a unit and lifted intoposition onto the base plate 1 over the machine supported on the baseplate, and the shell can be removed from the base plate when access tothe apparatus within the housing is desired as for servicing. Tofacilitate this, means are provided for supporting the frame 9 on thebase plate 1 and detachably securing it in place. In a desirable form,the supporting and attaching means comprise respective upstandingpostlike attachment element 16 which are, as shown preferably ofgenerally U-shape structure and anchored by means of screws 16a to thebase plate 1 adjacent to each side so as to underlie the side bars ofthe frame member 9. To guide the frame 9 into position upon the securingpost 16, generally bell mouth downwardly opening semi-sockets 17. areprovided on the side bars of the frame 9 and are adapted to registerwith the upper end portions of the posts 16 by downward placementmovement of the housing shell. In the assembled relationship, securingmeans in the form of a coupling screw 17a engaging a coupling nut 16bcar ried by the upper end of the post 16 in each instance is accessiblefrom above when the cover 8 is open. Desirably sound, vibration dampingmeans in the form of a rubber grommet 18 are provided in the couplingbetween the members 16 and 17. Through this arrangement, mounting of thehousing shell unit which has been fixedly assembled with the supportingframe 9 is easily and quickly effected by moving the housing shelldownwardly aligned with the base plate 1, with proper orientationassured by reception of the upper end of the attachment posts 16 withinthe corresponding sockets l7, and registration of the vertical guidegrooves 14 with the projecting lugs 15 and the registration ofprojections la in the recesses 6b. After such assembly has beeneffected, the housing shell is secured in place with respect to the base1 by means of the screws 17a, ac cess to which is freely gained byopening the cover 8.

Means are provided for soundproofing the cabinet, in addition tosoundproofing and vibration damping attained by reason of the relativelynon-resonant character of the housing shell wall members and the rubbercoupling devices which have been described. To this end, various seamsof joints between parts of the cabinet including the housing shell andthe basd 1 are desirably lined with suitable strips 19 of dampingmaterial such as foam or sponge elastomer. In addition, inner surfacesof the various wall panels are desirably covered with sound absorbingmaterial such as sheets, mats or panels 20 of a preferably open cellfoam elastomer or its equivalent.

Another feature contributing to form-stability in the housing shellcomprises press fit joint connections between the front wall member 2and the side wall members 6 as well as between the rear wall member 7and the side wall members 6. This is an especially desirable featurewhere these wall members are made from suitable plastic material. Forthis purpose, the side wall panels 6 are provided at each side edge witha vertically extending inwardly projecting narrow coupling flange 21(FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) which is provided with an inwardly opening verticallyextending coupling groove 210 within which is received a respectivecomplementary vertically extending narrow coupling flange 22 projectingoutwardly on the integral side panels of each of the front wall member 2and side wall member 7. In order to provide a tight friction joint,while allowing for reasonable tolerance variables between the walls ofthe flanges 21 defining the grooves 21a and the engaging surfaces of theflanges 22, frictional take up means are provided on the flanges 21within the grooves 210, desirable in the form of shallow, narrowintegral friction ribs 23 extending inwardly on thewall surfaces of theflange 21 within the groove 21a, in each instance. and with the ribs 23alternating at substantially spaced intervals with one another on therespective opposite parallel surfaces within the groove 21a. The planesalong the crests of the friction ribs 23 are slightly closer to oneanother than the thickness of the flange 22 received within the groovesocket 21a. As a result. pressing of the flanges 22 into the socketgrooves 21a effects a firm frictional gripping of the flanges 22 by thefriction ribs 23, aided by the inherent resiliency of not only theparallel sections of the grooved flanges 21 but also of the flanges 22.Thereby a firm, rattle free, positive, easily assembled joint connectionbetween the front, rear and side wall panels of the housing is effected.

It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts ofthis invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a housing for apparatus which may require servicing, such aselectrically operated typewriters and similar machines of which telexmachines are an example:

base means for supporting thereon apparatus to be housed;

a housing shell comprising upright wall members including a front wallmember, a rear wall member, and two opposite side wall members;

a generally ring-shaped frame member;

means securing upper end portions of all of said wall members to saidframe member;

supporting post means extending upwardly from opposite sides of saidbase means; and

coupling means carried by said frame member for engaging in separablesupporting relation with said post means to permit lifting of thehousing shell away from the base means to expose apparatus supported bythe base means.

2. in a housing according to claim 1, reinforcing and connecting barmembers below said frame ring, and means securing the bar members tocontiguous ones of said wall members.

3. In a housing according to claim 1, cushioning means between saidcoupling means and said post means.

4. A housing structure according to claim 1, said coupling meansincluding downwardly opening guide socket structures within which thepost means are received by projecting upwardly into the socketstructures.

5. in a housing according to claim 1, means on the lower portions ofcertain of said wall members and on said base means for guiding thehousing shell into aligned stable assembly with the base means.

6. in a housing according to claim 1, a top closure cover member, andmeans hingedly securing the cover member to said frame ring.

7. in a housing according to claim I, certain of said wall membershaving vertical grooves therein, and

other of said wall members having vertical complementary tongue flangesthereon, said tongue flanges being assembled in said grooves bytransverse assembly of the tongues in the grooves to effect jointconnections between the flanges, and means effecting frictional bindingof the tongue flanges in the grooves.

8. In a housing according to claim 7, said means for effectingfrictional binding comprising friction ribs within said groovesextending in the direction of insertion of the tongue flanges into thegrooves.

9. in a housing according to claim 1, said frame member comprising ametal frame ring, and said wall members comprising panels formed fromrelatively soft plastic material.

10. in a housing for apparatus which may require servicing, such aselectrically operated typewriters and similar machines of which telexmachines are an example:

base means for supporting thereon apparatus to be housed;

a housing shell open at its bottom and rising to atop at a substantialheight above said base means;

said housing shell comprising a front wall member, a

rear wall member, and two opposite side wall members;

a mounting frame located adjacent to the top of the shell;

means attaching the wall members in housing shell assembly to saidframe; and upstanding supports on opposite sides of said base means towhich said frame is releasabl'y mounted for thereby supporting thehousing shell in apparatus enclosing relation over said base means;

release of the frame from said supports permitting lifting of the frameand the housing shell from the base means to expose apparatus supportedby the base means.

1]. in a housing according to claim 10, all of said side wall memberscomprising relatively soft plastic panels, and stabilizing bars securedto and between said panels below said frame.

12. In a housing according to claim I0, said upstanding supportscomprising respective posts located at opposite sides of the base meansadjacent to side wall members, said frame having downwardly openingsockets within which upper ends of the posts are engaged, and meansreleasably securing the upper ends of the posts in the sockets.

13. in a housing according to claim 1., said base means comprising aplate member, stud means on edge portions of said base plate, and guidestructure on the lower portions of said wall members cooperating withsaid stud means to stabilize connection of the wall members with thebase plate.

14. In a housing according to claim 10, said side wall members and saidfront and rear wall members having respective contiguous edges, saidedges being interconnected by respective spring tongue and grooveconnections.

I l t l

1. In a housing for apparatus which may require servicing, such aselectrically operated typewriters and similar machines of which telexmachines are an example: base means for supporting thereon apparatus tobe housed; a housing shell comprising upright wall members including afront wall member, a rear wall member, and two opposite side wallmembers; a generally ring-shaped frame member; means securing upper endportions of all of said wall members to said frame member; supportingpost means extending upwardly from opposite sides of said base means;and coupling means carried by said frame member for engaging inseparable supporting relation with said post means to permit lifting ofthe housing shell away from the base means to expose apparatus supportedby the base means.
 1. In a housing for apparatus which may requireservicing, such as electrically operated typewriters and similarmachines of which telex machines are an example: base means forsupporting thereon apparatus to be housed; a housing shell comprisingupright wall members including a front wall member, a rear wall member,and two opposite side wall members; a generally ring-shaped framemember; means securing upper end portions of all of said wall members tosaid frame member; supporting post means extending upwardly fromopposite sides of said base means; and coupling means carried by saidframe member for engaging in separable supporting relation with saidpost means to permit lifting of the housing shell away from the basemeans to expose apparatus supported by the base means.
 2. In a housingaccording to claim 1, reinforcing and connecting bar members below saidframe ring, and means securing the bar members to contiguous ones ofsaid wall members.
 3. In a housing according to claim 1, cushioningmeans between said coupling means and said post means.
 4. A housingstructure according to claim 1, said coupling means including downwardlyopening guide socket structures within which the post means are receivedby projecting upwardly into the socket structures.
 5. In a housingaccording to claim 1, means on the lower portions of certain of saidwall members and on said base means for guiding the housing shell intoaligned stable assembly with the base means.
 6. In a housing accordingto claim 1, a top closure cover member, and means hingedly securing thecover member to said frame ring.
 7. In a housing according to claim 1,certain of said wall members having vertical grooves therein, and otherof said wall members having vertical complementary tongue flangesthereon, said tongue flanges being assembled in said grooves bytransverse assembly of the tongues in the grooves to effect jointconnections between the flanges, and means effecting frictional bindingof the tongue flanges in the grooves.
 8. In a housing according to claim7, said means for effecting frictional binding comprising friction ribswithin said grooves extending in the direction of insertion of thetongue flanges into the grooves.
 9. In a housing according to claim 1,said frame member comprising a metal frame ring, and said wall memberscomprising panels formed from relatively soft plastic material.
 10. In ahousing for apparatus which may require servicing, such as electricallyoperated typewriters and similar machines of which telex machines are anexample: base means for supporting thereon apparatus to be housed; ahousing shell open at its bottom and rising to a top at a substantialheight above said base means; said housing shell comprising a front wallmember, a rear wall member, and two opposite side wall members; amounting frame located adjacent to the top of the shell; means attachingthe wall members in housing shell assembly to said frame; and upstandingsupports on opposite sides of said base means to which said frame isreleasably mounted for thereby supporting the housing shell in apparatusenclosing relation over said base means; release of the frame from saidsupports permitting lifting of the frame and the housing shell from thebase means to expose apparatus supported by the base means.
 11. In ahousing according to claim 10, all of said side wall members comprisingrelatively soft plastic panels, and stabilizing bars secured to andbetween said panels below said frame.
 12. In a housing according toclaim 10, said upstanding supports comprising respective posts locatedat opposite sides of the base means adjacent to side wall members, saidframe having downwardly opening sockets within which upper ends of theposts are engaged, and means releasably securing the upper ends of theposts in the sockets.
 13. In a housing according to claim 10, said basemeans comprising a plate member, stud means on edge portions of saidbase plate, and guide structure on the lower portions of said wallmembers cooperating with said stud means to stabilize connection of thewall members with the base plate.